Electric generator for bicycles.



No. 810,651. r PATENTED JAN. 28, 1906.

F. X. HOPBAUER.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR FOR BIGYGLES.

' APPLIGATlON FILED JUNE 14, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: .WVENTOR M of hmm- ATTORNEYS No. 810,651. I PATENTED JAN. 231906. F. X. HOPBAUER.

vELECTRIC GENERATOR FOR BIOYGLES.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14,1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Q/w7 4? War-n11; Wilma-M.

ATTORNEYS FRANK X. HOFBAUER, @F 'EST GRANGE, NEW JERSEY.

. ELECTFilC GENERATCDR FQFB BEICYGLESQ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed June 14,1902. Serial No. 111,597.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK X. .HOFBAUER, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Generatorsfor Bicvcles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to enable a bicycle or other vehiclehaving an electrical headlight to generate the illuminating power whilethe vehicle is in motion; to avoid the use of storage batteries and theweight, the lack of continuity of service, and other disadvantagesincident thereto to reduce the cost of construction as compared with theother electric-lighting means having storage batteries, and to secureother advantages and results, some of which may be referred tohereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved electric headlight generator ofelectricity for bicycles and in the arrangements and combinations ofparts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth,and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures,Figure l is a side elevation of a bicycle having my improved lightingappliances attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlargedscale, showing a dynamo attached to the vehicle-frame and ada ted to beoperated by the wheel of the vehic e. Fig. 3 is a front view of thesame. Fig. 4 is an inside view of the armature-cariying plate of thedynamo, showing the armature thereon. Fig. 5 is a detail view of thearmature arranged in connection with a. friction-wheel adapted to engagethe large running-wheel of the vehicle. Fig. 6 is an inside view themagnet of the dynamo. Fig. 7 is asection of the same, taken at line asof Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the dynamo. Fig. 9 isa detail view showing certain binding-posts on said dynamo. Fig. 10 is aperspective detail of a dynamo-holding shaft raised to its inoperativeposition.

and spring; and Fig. 11 is a section of the same taken online 1,! ofFig. 10.

In said drawings, a indicates a bicycle or other vehicle, having a.frame 0 and runningwheels d d, of any ordinary construction. Upon theframe 0 of said vehicle is clamped, by means of a suitable clip or clampI), a dynamo e, in connection, through wires f, with a light orelectrical lamp g. The said lamp is of any suitable construction andpreferably of four-candle power capacity, the said lamp being stationedon the handle-bar or frame at a point preferably between the handles ofsaid handle-bar and serving as a headlight l for the vehicle. Upon theclamp bis arranged a pivotal arm 72, upon which the dynamo e is adaptedto turir to and from operative rela tion with the said running-wheel,being preferably incased with a rubber sheathing or sleeve "L, Fig. 8,whereby the dynamo is prevented from rattling upon the vehicle. The saidpivotal arm 72 projects at right angles to the plane of therunning-wheel and is fixed in its relation to the clamp in any suitablemanner and at its opposite end from where it engages the clamp isprovided with a thread adapted to receive a nut 1:. It is also notchedor slotted at opposite sides, as at Z in Fig. 11, to receive a slottedspring m, the prongs of the said spring entering the said notches andbeing thus held rigidly from turning in its relation to the said pivotalarm 71. The said spring 771 is rigidly secured upon the arm 72 by thenut is and is thus stationary in its re lation to the frame 0, and thespring serves as a holder for a dynamo, the outer side of which latteris provided with a suitable protuberance 72, adapted to project over theup per edge of the spring at when the dynamo is Thus when the dynamo eis raised to the position shown in dotted outline, Fig. 2, the saiddynamo will not receive motivepower from the with. the frictional wheel9, so as to turn therewith. armature s or the shaft thereof extendsclear through the side plates 5 t of the dynamo, which plates, with themagnet, form a casing which incloses said armature and prevents accessof dust thereto. At one side of the plate tis the frictional wheelg,.and at the opposite side of the armature the shaft 1 projects outinto the box-like extension, which serves as the protuberance a, abovereferred to. Said box-like extension interiorly is hollow to receive thefree end of a contact-spring 0, the box n serving as an inclosure forthe said spring 0 and the projecting end of the armature-shaft. At thepoint of contact or" the dynamo-shaft and spring 0 the said box may beopen and may be closed by a cap or plug 1), as shown in Fig. 7, toprevent the entrance of moisture or dust, the opening serving to permitof certain mechanical operations in the construction of the device. Uponthe plate t is fastened the permanent magnet 3, between the arms t iofwhich the armature rotates, the plate 25, as also the plate t, being ofbrass, copper, aluminium, or other non-magnetic metal, and the magnetbeing preferably of castiron. The binding-screws 5 and 6, one in directconnection with the magnet and the other seated on insulation on saidmagnet and in connection, through wires 7, with the contact-spring 0,armature-shaft r, and armature s are of peculiar construction to preventthe bindingnuts from jarring loose. Said binding-posts are shown indetail in Fig. 9, where they are perforated, as at 8, the perforationsextending longitudinally from the outer extremity l of said posts at ornear the axes thereoi in an inclined direction and opening through thethreaded peripheries of the posts, and thus when the wires are thrustthrough said perforations the nuts 9 of the said posts are forceddirectly and hard against the contacting wires, so as to secure aperfect contact, and at the same time the wires serve as locks toprevent the detachment or loosening due to the jarring 01" the vehicle.The course of the electric current from the armature sis through theshaft r, contact-spring 0, wire 7, insulated binding-posts 6, throughone of the wiresf to the lamp g, thence back through another wire to thepost 5 and magnet 8.

1 am aware that various detail changes may be made in the constructionof my device without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination with the bicycle-frame and running-wheel, the fOIITlGlhaving a pivotal arm and holding-spring, of a dynamo electric machinearranged on said pivotal arm and adapted to engage the running wheel ofthe bicycle and be operated thereby and adapted to engage saidholding-spring and be held thereby out of operative relation to saidrunning-wheel, the dynamo being provided with a box-like protuberanceserving the double purpose as .a receptacle for contacting conductingdevices of the dynamo and as an arm or protuberance to engage theholding-spring, substantially as set forth.

2. T he combination with the headlight and conductingwires, of adynamo-electric machine comprising magnet, non-magnetic side plates, anarmature rotating between said side plates, between the prongs of themagnet, the said side plate furnishing bearings for a pivotal arm and abox-like protuberance, a contact-springin said protuberance engaging thearmature-shaft and conductors ofsaid magnet and spring with saidheadlight, substantially as set forth.

in testimony that l claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this31st day or" May,1902.

FRANK X. HOFBAUER. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, C. B. PrrNnr.

